Approval Process to submit grants for the Tribe or using Tribal Population---coming soon.

CARES ACT

On March 28, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, to provide emergency assistance and health care response for individuals, families, businesses, and governments affected by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Below is an outline of key provisions of the CARES Act that may be relevant to tribal governments and tribally-owned businesses. We have also included a “Frequently Asked Questions” section based on our current reading of the Act.

The CARES Act provides a variety of forms of relief for governments, agencies, and businesses, including direct appropriations to tribal governments, low-interest loans to tribal governments and their businesses (some of which may be forgivable), tax credits to retain or rehire employees, and a deferral of payroll taxes. It also includes appropriations to federal agencies that must be distributed to tribes, tribal organizations, or other organizations that serve Indian people.

Notably, the language of the CARES Act is broad. Each form of relief will be administered by various federal agencies, which will provide guidance or regulations that further define the scope of the relief and the way tribes and businesses may access it, and may even alter eligibility requirements.